Tight battle

Shelton survives Shapovalov at the US Open

7-6 6-7 6-3 6-4

Shelton vs Shapovalov2-0 across 2 meetings in this archive

Ben Shelton defeated Denis Shapovalov 7-6(3) 6-7(5) 6-3 6-4 in the third round of the US Open on hard court. Shelton took the opening set in a tiebreak but Shapovalov leveled the match by winning the second-set tiebreak 7-5, before Shelton pulled clear with a 6-3 third set and closed out the match 6-4 in the fourth. Shelton struck 14 aces and 47 winners across the match, though 54 unforced errors kept the contest competitive through the first two sets.

Match context

Why this one matters

A win in a 1/16 finals match at US Open on hard courts is another data point in the argument Shelton's game keeps making: that first-strike tennis — the serve, the forehand behind it, the forward pressure — holds up week over week, not just on highlight reels.

  • 7-6(3), 6-7(5) tiebreak battle in first two sets
  • Shelton surged 6-3, 6-4 after Shapovalov leveled
  • 14 aces, 47 winners kept intensity throughout

US Open — every round

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